French automaker Renault Trucks has announced a partnership with Geodis, to design a heavy-duty electric truck for urban logistics that can meet the requirements of city center freight transport.
The two companies said they had agreed to develop a 16 tonne electric truck, at comparable cost (TCO2) to a diesel vehicle, which is a prerequisite for widespread adoption of alternative power units.
The project called Oxygen will work to integrate all the requirements and functions of a city center delivery, including eliminating pollution and noise and improving active and passive safety to coexist better with all road users.
The heavy-duty electric truck is planned to be manufactured at the Renault Trucks site in Blainville-sur-Orne, France. The truck will be piloted for urban delivery in Paris, France in 2023.
This testing will be followed by a vehicle adaptation phase incorporating feedback from the driver covering usage comfort, practicality, recharging, etc, and then by a study to optimize the total cost of ownership.
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In the early phases of work, the partnership focused on improving safety for drivers and the public with a lower cab, large windshield and multiple cameras.
The design also incorporates sliding side doors on the passenger side to limit the angle of the door opening and allow the driver to exit the truck on either side. The lowered cabin is also expected to make it easier for the driver to access the vehicle. Lastly, to increase maneuverability, Renault has redesigned the exterior lines of the truck and cabin interior.
President of Renault Trucks, Bruno Blin, said that the aim of the Oxygen project, in which Renault Trucks worked with Geodis, was to design a truck that would blend seamlessly into the urban landscape, among other road users in high-traffic areas and even in urban areas. pedestrian zone.
“This new truck will be designed for the comfort and safety of drivers, and for the safety of city dwellers,” said Bruno Blin.
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Meanwhile, the two companies will start the project with the understanding that vehicles with a capacity of more than 3.5 tons will remain the core of urban distribution for massification reasons despite challenging changes in urban transportation. These changes include emission regulations, restricted access and the proliferation of various modes of mobility in shared public spaces.
Marie-Christine Lombard, CEO of Geodis, said that the environmental emergency, combined with the growth of e-commerce and the adoption of low-emission zones in France's major cities, urgently needed to increase the decarbonization of transport.
“This is the goal of Geodis in collaborating with Renault Trucks. We want to immediately provide a concrete answer to the problem of sustainable urban logistics,” he concluded.
